Clothes-line reel.



M. L. SGANLON.

CLOTHES LINE REEL.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 20, 1912.

1,071,351, Patented Aug. 26, 1913.

Witnesses Inventor Attorneys dJLuMIlA PLANOORAHI OmJIASIIING'NJN. D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MICHAEL L. SGANLON, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF T0 STEPHEN CAUG-I-IILL, 0F CLEVELAND, OHIO.

CLOTHES-LIN E REEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 26,1913.

Application filed August 20, 1912. 'Serial No. 716,098.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MICHAEL L. SoANLoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful ClothesLine Reel, of which the following is a specification.

Thisinvention appertains to clothes line reels, and aims to provide an improved and efficient reel for clothes lines and the like, wherein the drum or spool is removable.

It is also the object of the present invention to provide such a reel embodying a drum and means for actuating same so that the drum may be wound up in either direction and may be brought under tension in either direction, reversible means being provided for locking the drum against retrograde movement.

The present invention also contemplates a device of the character indicated which shall be simple, compact and inexpensive in 0011- struction, as well as eflicient, convenient and serviceable in its use.

With the foregoing and other object-s in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The invent-ion has been illustrated in its preferred embodiment in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters have been employed to denote corresponding parts, and wherein- Figure 1 is a front elevation of the reel,

parts being broken away. Fig. 2 is a side elevation, parts being broken away. Fig. 3 is a side elevation taken in a direction opposite to the line of view of Fig. 2, parts being broken away. Fig. 4 is a sectional detail taken on the line er of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a sectional View of the drum and corresponding parts, parts being broken away. Fig. 6 is a perspective of several details in separated positions.

Referring specifically to the drawings, the present invention embodies a casing, desig nated generally by the numeral 7, which as illustrated, is bent from a suitable blank of sheet metal to provide the top 8, back 9, and

the bottom 10, the top, back and bottom being provided with inturned flanges 11. The sides and front of the casing are open, although it is understood that the casing may be constructed in any suitable manner and of any suitable material. A keeper 12 is secured to the back of the casing and is en gageable over the upper free or offset end 13 of a bar 14 secured to a post, wall or the like. The casing 7 may thus be conveniently engaged to a post or other support and may be disengaged therefrom by lifting the easing so that the keeper 12 disengages the bar or bracket 14. It is to be understood, however, that the casing may be attached to a post or other support in any convenient manner.

A bearing plate 15 is secured on each side of the casing between the flanges 11 and at the front end of the casing, each of the said plates 15 being provided with a rearwardly projecting arm 16 having a supplemental bearing 17 at its free end. An operating shaft 18 is journaled through the bearings 17 and has a collar 19 secured on one end thereof adjacent the corresponding bearing 17. A spiral or coiled wire spring 20 is arranged on the shaft 18 between the bearings 17 and has terminals secured to the said shaft and one of the arms 16, respectively. On the other end of the shaft 18 is mounted a large spur gear 21, the projecting end of the shaft being squared or non-circular in contour as designated by the numeral 22, for the engagement of a suitable crank or key 23. The crank or key 23 permits the operating shaft to be readily rotated in either direction, the spring 20 being adapted to be wound or unwound from a normal or neutral position to bring the shaft under tension in either direction.

A stub-shaft 24 is journaled through the plate 15 on the side corresponding with the gear 21, the inner end of the said shaft being squared or non-circular in contour and a small spur gear 25 being secured on the outer end of the stub-shaft and meshing with the gear 21, so that when the operating shaft is rotated, the stub-shaft is actuated therewith. A Y-shaped pawl or dog 26 is pivoted on the corresponding plate 15 and has its respective arms adapted to cooperate with the side and top of the small spur gear 25 so as to prevent the stub-shaft from being rotated in a retrograde manner in either direction due to the tension of the spring 20. This pawl 26 is provided with a finger piece 27 for convenience in swinging same, the

pawl being actuated by gravity when it is swung on top of the gear 25 and being pressed into engagement with the gear by a leaf spring 28 when the pawl is swung against the side of the gear. This leaf spring 28 is secured to the plate 15 and normally engages the free arm of the pawl when one arm is in engagement with the side of the gear 25. When the pawl is swung out of engagement with the gear 25, the spring 28 is adapted to engage between the arms of the pawl so as to retain the pawl out of engagement with the gear 25, thereby leaving the shafts free. It will be apparent that when the operating shaft is to be rotated in one direction, that the pawl may be correspondingly swung into engagement with the gear 25 so as to prevent the shafts from retrograde movement, the pawl being reversible in order to lock the shafts against retrograde movement in either direction according to the direction in which the operating shaft is turned so as to wind or unwind the spring 20.

A U-shaped yoke 29 is secured to the other plate 15 and is provided with a circular opening 30 at its intermediate portion, diametrically opposite notches 31 extending from the opening 30. An annulus 32 is secured on the inner face of the intermediate portion of the yoke and is provided with a circular opening 33 complementing the opening 30 of the yoke, the annulus being provided with a plurality of diametrically opposite notches 34 extending from the opening 30, a pair of the notches complementing the notches 31 of the yoke. A sleeve 35 is secured between the annulus 32 and the plate 15, and a coiled wire spring 36 is disposed between the said plate and the annulus within the sleeve, a washer 37 being interposed between the spring and the annulus. A spindle 38 passes through the opening 30 of the yoke, the opening 33 of the annulus and through the washer, the said spindle having a thumb piece 39 on its outer end and having its inner end enlarged or thickened as designated by the numeral 40. The inner end of the spindle is journaled through the bearing plate 15, the thickened portion forming an outwardly facing shoulder 41 within the sleeve 35 so as to limit the outward movement of the spindle. This spindle 38 is provided with a pair of diametrically opposite lugs or projections 42, which are designed to pass through the complementing notches 31 and 34 of the yoke and annulus. It will thus be observed,that when the spindle 38 is in one position, the same may be slid inwardly and outwardly, so that the lugs 42 pass through the notches 31 and 34,

' and that when the spindle is slid inwardly,

the lugs 42 will strike the washer 37 so as to force same inwardly against the compressive tension of the spring 36. The spindle may then be turned so that the lugs 42 engage or snap into the other notches 34 of the annulus, the compression spring 36 forcing the washer outwardly againstthe lugs 42 so that the lugs abut against the intermediate portion of the yoke 29. Thus, when the spindle is in one position, the same may be readily slid inwardly and outwardly, and when the same is slid inwardly and turned to another position, it is locked against outward movement.

A drum or spool 43 is arranged within the casing 7, the said drum having a square or non-circular socket 44 at one end and a circular or smooth socket 45 at its other end. The socket 44 is adapted to engage the inner end of the stub-shaft 24 so as to rot-ate therewith and the spindle is adapted to engage in the socket 45 so that the drum may rotate on the inner end of the spindle. The spindle is designed to engage the socket 45 when the spindle has been slid inwardly and turned so that the lugs 42 engage the notches 34 of the annulus 32 which are out of registration with the notches 31 of the yoke, and when the spindle is in its outermost position, the same disengages the drum and permits the drum to be disengaged from the stub-shaft 24, so that the drum may be removed.

In use, the clothesline is attached to the drum 43 in any suitable manner and may be wound up in either direction, according to the position of the pawl 26, the spring 20 being wound up or unwound as the operating shaft 18 is rotated to wind the clothesline upon the drum. When the clothes-line has been wound completely upon the drum, the drum may be removed by forcing the spindle 38 inwardly slightly so as to disengage the lugs 42 from the annulus and then turning the spindle so that the lugs 42 may pass through the complementing notches 34 and 31, in which event, the inner end of the spindle will be retracted from the socket- 45. The clothesline may then be removed with the drum so as to be stored away, and when the clothes-line is to be used, the drum may be again inserted into the casing, the socket 44 being engaged on the inner end of the stub-shaft 24 and the spindle being manipulated so as to engage the smooth socket 45.

The present reel may not only be employed for winding up clothes lines, but may be employed for divers purposes, such as for winding up rope, wire, and the like, it being evident that when the pawl 26 is swung out of engagement with the spur gear 25, the clothes line, rope or the like wound upon the drum will be unwound, due to the tension f the Spring 20.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings, the advantages of the present reel will be manifest, and it will be noted that the objects are carried out in a satisfactory manner.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A clothes-line reel embodying a casing, a drum in the casing having a smooth socket in one end, a yoke secured to one side of the casing and having an opening in its intermediate portion with diametrica-lly opposed notches extending from the opening, an annulus secured on the inner face of the intermediate portion of the yoke and having an opening therethrough,

and a plurality of diametrically opposite notches, a pair of the notches complementing the notches of the yoke, a sleeve secured between the annulus and the corresponding side of the casing, a coiled wire compression spring in the sleeve, a washer interposed between the spring and annulus, and a spindle passing through the yoke, annulus and washer and having its inner end thickened and passing through the side of the casing to engage in the smooth socket of the drum, the spindle having diametrically opposite lugs to pass through the complementing notches of the yoke and annulus and to engage the other notches of the annulus when the spindle has engaged the drum.

2. In a device of the character described, a support, a drum having a smooth socket in one end, a yoke secured to the support, a spring pressed spindle passing through the yoke and the support to engage in the said socket, the spindle having a lug within the yoke, and a member within the yoke with which the said lug is engageable, in order that the said lug may be swung into engagement with the said member when the spindle has engaged with the said socket to hold the spindle against turning and outward. movement.

3. In a device of the character described, a support, a drum having a smooth socket in one end, a yoke secured to the support and having an opening in its intermediate portion with a notch extending from the opening, and a spring pressed spindle passing through the said opening in the yoke and through the support to engage the said socket, the spindle having a lug to pass through the said notch and to be turned within the yoke to retain the spindle in engagement with the said socket.

4. A clothes line reel embodying a casing, a drum therein having a smooth socket in one end, a yoke secured to the side of the casing and having an opening in its intermediate portion with a notch extending from the opening, a coiled wire compression spring in the yoke, a washer interposed between the spring and yoke, and a spindle passing through the yoke, washer, and side of the casing to engage the said socket, the spindle having a lug to pass through the said notch so as to strike the washer in order to be swung behind the yoke.

5. In a device of the character described, a support, a drum having a smooth socket in one end, a yoke secured to the support and having an opening in its intermediate portion with a notch extending from the opening, a member secured on the inner face of the intermediate portion of the yoke having a notch out of registration with the aforesaid notch, and a spring pressed spindle passing through the yoke and the support to engage the socket, the spindle having a lug to pass through the former notch and to be swung into engagement with the latter not-ch.

6. In a device of the character described, a support, a drum having a smooth socket in one end, a yoke secured to the support having an opening in its intermediate portion with a notch extending from the opening, an annulus secured on the inner face of the intermediate portion of the yoke having an opening therethrough and having a notch extending from the opening and out of reg istration with the aforesaid notch, a coiled wire compression spring in the yoke, a washer interposed between the spring and annulus, and a spindle passing through the yoke, annulus, washer and support, the spindle having a lug to pass through the aforesaid notch and to be turned into engagement with the latter notch.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signa ture in the presence of two witnesses.

MICHAEL L. SGANLON.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM FLANIGAN, J osnrrr CLARK.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

